Electrically-controlled timepiece



Dec. 23, T924. v 1,520,453

' L. .1.4 STERN ELECTRI CALLY CONTROLLED TIMEPI ECE* Filed March 25, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 23, l 924. 1,520,453

L. J. STERN ELECTRICALLY CONTROLLED TIMEPIECE -Filed March 23, 1921 2 sheets-sheet 2 Mill:

Snowdon YQ @Hof/mm3 Patented Dee. 23, 1924.

UNITED sTATEs LEWIS J. STERN, F NEW PATENT OFFICE.`

Yonx, N. Y., AssreNon ro STERLING-encon co., Inc., .a

CORPORATION 'or NEW Yoix. w

ELECTRICALLYCONTRLLED TIMEPIECE.

Application [filed March 23, 1921. Serial No. 454,809.

y ,To all whom lt may concern.'

Be it known that I, Lewis J. S'rEnN, citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York city, in the county of New` York and State of New York, have invented certion is to provide an apparatus of this class in which the electrically controlled apparay tus is more simple and eiicient in operation and construction and less likely-to get out of order. Further and more specific objects,

vfeatures and advantages will more clearly appear from the detail description given below taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which form a partV of this specification.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a rear vlew of a clock or time piece embodying my improvements in one form. Fig. 2 is a view thereof taken at right angles to Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig; lbut with the magnets and certain other partsv removed or cut away. y

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a suitable casing containing suitable clock w'ork having a main 'arbor 2 to which is rigidly secured the ratchet wheel 3 projecting through the back face 6 of the clock mechanism. The hands of the clock may be placed onthe outside of the `front face 4 of the clock mechanism. 5 is a bracket attached to the back face 6 of the clock or time piece mechanism and journalled between the upper end of thebracket 5 and the face 6 is a pivot 7 carrying an armature 8 adapt'- ed to be attracted to the polar ends 9 of electro-magnets 10. The armature 8 carries rigid therewith an arm 11 extending away from the pivot 7 at right angles to the armature 8 and having one end of a coil tension spring 12 connected to its other end, the

other end of the spring 12 being adjustably connected to a bracket 13 by means of screw 14 and nut 15. The magnets 10 are suitably supported on the back face 6 by posts 16 and 17.

Pivotally mounted on the arm 11 is a pawl 18 normally pressed against the teeth of the ratchet 3-'by a tension spring 19.

Pivotally mounted between a bracket 20 and the face 6 about a pivot 21 as a center, isa switch lever 22 having an upturned lug 23 to which is connecte'done end of `a colll tenslon spring 24, the other end of the sprlng 24 being connected to a laterally extending arm 25.0n the armature 8. The switch member 22 is provided with an arm 26 adapted to engage a bracket 27 to limit the movement of the switch member in open position. Pivoted between the bracket 28 Vand the face 6 about a pivot 29 is a switch contact member 30 carrying an electrical contact at 31 suitably insulated from the member 30 but electrically connected in circuit with the magnets 104 bv means of a coil spring wire conductor 32. The member 30 has an arm 33 extending in the opposite direction from the pivot, which arm 1s bent over at its outer end and extends into a slot 34 in the face 6 thereby limiting the movement of the member 30 about its pivot 29 to a very slight movement determined by the play which the arm 33 has in the slot 34. rlhe Contact 32 is preferably made of silver while the switch arm 22 carries an electrical contact 35 of silver or other suitable metal. The magnets 10 are electrically connected in series with one another by conductor 35, one terminal of the magnets being indicated at 36.

a source of electrical energy such as a storage battery or dry cell or other suitable source, while the other terminal thereof is rounded to the metal parts of the apparatus 1n any suitable manner. Assuming the parts to be in position shown in full lines in the various figures, the spring 12 will be under tension and will pull upon the arm 11 causing` the pawl 18 to touch-upon the ratchet 3 tending to turn the same and by actin thereagainst under spring pressure w l cause the operation of the clock or time piece in the usual -manner. As the arm 11 moves slowly under the action lof the spring 12 in turning the ratchet 3, the armature 8 simultaneously gradually moves away from the pole pieces 9 and carries with it the end of the spring 24 which is attached to the lug 25. When the line ybetween the two ends of the spring 24 is swung over to thel other side of the pivot 21, the spring 24 suddenly snaps or swings the switch member 22 about the pivot 21 causing the Contact 'llhe terminal 36 is connected to one side of to swing into electrical contact engagement with the contact 3l and make contact therewith with more or less of a sliding con tact so as to keep the faces of the contact clean. To facilitate this the contact men'iber 31 is carried by the pivotally mounted arm 30 and resiliently held toward the contact 35 by spring 82 so that when the switch member 22 is swung into engagement with the contact 3l, it causes slight movement of member 30 about its pivot 29 thereby permitting the contact faces to slide or rub over one another in order to keep them bright and insure good electrical contact. When the contact 35 which is electrically grounded to the metal parts of the apparatus engages the contact 3l, the circuit is completed through the magnets which causes the armature 8 to be attracted by movement of the arm ll which again places the spring l2 under its original tension. After the armature has been attracted a certain distance towards the pole pieces 9, but before actually coming to the limit of its movement, the line drawn bctween the two ends of the spring 24 passes over to the other side of the axis at 2l about which the switch member 22 is pivoted, whereby the spring 24 snaps the switch 22 open by causing it to be suddenly oscillated about the pivot 2l, and the switch contact 255 to be withdrawn from the contact 3l. The backward opening movement of the switch is limited by the arm 26 engaging the bracket 27, which also serves as a back stop for the armature 8 when the magnets are disconnected from a source of electrical energy. The parts may be so adjusted that the switch member 22 will automatically close the circuit through the magnets about every minute but it will be seen that as soon as the circuit is thus closed, the armature is immediately attracted and the armature almost instantaneously opens the switch and places the spring 12 under its original tension so that it will again perform its function of supplying the necessary force tooperate the time piece.

The switch member thus intermittently controls the energization and deenergization of the magnet and the spring 24 connected at one end to the switch member at a point on one side of its pivot and at the other end to a point on the other side of its pivot,

and to the armature, is adapted to throw the switch in each direction in response to the movement of the armature in each direction and forms a simple and efficient means for actuating the switch member and an arrangement which is not likely to get out of order., By providing this sort of an arrangement for swinging the switch member in each direction, friction of moving parts is reduced to a minimum and the apparatus is thus vless likely to become clogged or stuck. The spring 24 not only acts to snap the switch member back and forth after the line between the two ends of the spring, or thctwo points to which the ends of the spring are connected, passes from one side to the other of the axis of the switch member, but also acts to hold it at the end of its travel in cach direction until the armature has moved a substantial distance from the end of its travel.

While I have described my improvements in great detail and' with respect to a preferred form thereof, I do not desire to be limited to such details or forms since many changes and modifications may be made and the invention embodied in widely different forms without departing from the spirit and scope thereof in its broader aspects.

lhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. The combination of a time piece, an electro-magnet controlling the operation of the time piece, a pivoted switch member controlling the energization or deenergization of said magnet, an armature operated by the magnet and controlled in each of its movements in one direction by the escapoment of the time piece, and a coiled tension spring connected at one point to the switch member and at another point to an oscillating part of the armature and adapted to throw the switch in each direction in response to the movement of the armature in each direction.-

The combination of a time pice, an

electro-magnet controlling the operation of the time piece, a pivoted switch member. and a resiliently held contact eo-operatingr therewith, controlling the energization or deenergization of the maffnet, an armature mounted independently of said contact and operated by the magnet and controlled in each of its movements away from the magnet by the escapement of the time piece and a coiled tension spring operated -by the movement of the armature and adapted to swing the switch member in each direction according to the movement of the armature.

3. The combination of a time piece mechanism, an electro-magnet controlling the operation thereof, a pivoted switch member controlling said magnet, a spring connected at one end to said switch member and adapted to hold said switch member at each end of its travel, an armature operated by said magnet and moved away from the magnet by the escapement of the time piece and movement of which armature causes said switch member to move back and forth, a contact cooperating with the switch member to open and close the circuit of said magnet, said contact lbeing mounted independently of said armature and switch member and the spring acting to hold the switch member at the end of its travel llU until the armature has moved a substantial distance back from the end of its travel.

4. The combination of a time piece mechanism, an electro-magnet controlling the operation thereof, a pivoted switch member and a resiliently held contact cooperating therewith controlling said magnet, a spring having one end connected to the switch member at a point at one side of its pivot and the other end connected to a point on the other side of the pivot, whereby the said spring tends to hold said switch member at each end of its travel, an armature mounted independently of said contact and operated by the magnet, movement of which armature causes the switch member to move back and forth 5. The combination of a time piece mechanism, an electro-magnet for controlling the operation thereof, a pivoted switch member and rcsiliently held contact cooperating therewith controlling said magnet, an armature operated by the magnet, movement of which armature causes the switch mem-- ber to move back and forth, and a spring having one end connected to the switch member at a point on one side of its pivot and the other end connected to the armature at av point onthe other side of the pivot, whereby said spring tends to hold theswitch member at each end of its travel, said spring acting to throw the switch member in each direction after the line between said two points passes from one side to the other of the axis of'said switch member.

6. The combination of a time piece mechanism, an electro-magnet lcontrolling the operation thereof, a pivoted switch member and a resiliently held contact cooperating therewith controlling said magnet, a spring having one end connected to the switch member at a point at one side of its pivot the spring is connected to move back andA forth, said spring acting to throw the switch member in each direction after the line between said two points passes from one side to the other of the axis of said switch member.

7. The combination of a time piece mechanism, a ratchet wheel for operating' the same, a spring pressed pawl for operating the ratchet wheel, an electro-magnet, an armature operated periodically by the magnet to retract said pawl against the action ot' its spring, said armature being moved away from the magnet responsive to the escapement of the time piece, a pivoted switch member and a resiliently held contact cooperating therewith controlling the operation of said magnet, and a spring having one end connected to the switch member at a point on one side of its pivot and the other end connected to the armature at a point on the other side of the pivot, whereby said spring tends to hold said switch member at each end of its travel, said armature acting to cause the last mentioned point to which the spring is connected to move hach1 and forth to cause said spring to throw the switch member in each direction after the line between said two points passes from one side to the other of the axis of said switch member.

Signed at New York, in the county of New York, and State of New York, this 22nd day of March A. D. 1921.

'LEWIS J. STERN, 

